Price Checkhttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/6767/all
enHoliday Buying Guide: Tips For Saving Money Onlinehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/holiday_buying_guide_tips_saving_money_online
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/laptop_shopper_with_credit_card_620px.png" alt="Laptop shopper with credit card" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>The holiday season is in full swing, with just 12 days left before the gift-giving is a memory and we all look ahead to ushering in 2012. Of course, for many of us, gift-giving goes hand-in-hand with bargain hunting, especially when it comes to Apple products, which rarely get discounted in the first place. Here are some tips for saving a few bucks this holiday season.<br /><br />Longtime Apple fans are generally used to paying a premium for the products they love, especially in recent years when retailers have been forced to match a minimum advertised price, which often translates to little discount at the cash register. But there are always exceptions, and deals can often be found on the company’s products -- assuming you’re willing to shop around, compare and go off the beaten path a bit.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/itunes_gift_cards_available_now_620px.png" alt="iTunes gift cards available now" width="620" height="300" /></p><h3>Gift Cards</h3><p>One of the most sure-fire ways to nab yourself a deal on Apple products is to start with a gift card. Even though Cupertino issues store-specific cards for iTunes, iBookstore and the App Stores (iOS and Mac), once you redeem them with your Apple ID, you can spend the dough just about anywhere you’d like.<br /><br />The only exception is that an <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/giftcards/itunes/gallery" target="_blank">iTunes gift card</a> can’t be used for Apple Store purchases -- you’ll need the more appropriate <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/personalize/apple?product=MA210LL/C" target="_blank">Apple Gift Card</a> for those. Likewise, Apple gift cards can’t be used for iTunes purchases. The main difference is that iTunes gift cards are sold in preset amounts, starting at $15 and maxing out at $100; the Apple Gift Card can be purchased in any amount from $25 up to the “super Santa” amount of $5,000. (You won’t have any trouble making friends by handing those out this year!)<br /><br />During last month’s Black Friday mania, Best Buy’s website offered iTunes gift cards at a pretty steep discount -- for example, you could nab a $100 gift card for only $80, available as either a digital code via email or as a physical plastic gift card with free shipping. Deals can usually be found on smaller amounts, and with warehouse clubs such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s offering everyday discounts on these items -- perfect for gift-giving, but also your own day-to-day app and media purchases. After all, buying four $25 gift cards for even $95 is like getting $5 worth of product free -- and it helps control spending at the same time. Buy the gift cards with a credit card that earns points and you’ll be saving even more!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/amazon_package_in_hand_620px.png" alt="Package from Amazon being delivered" width="620" height="300" /></p><h3>Don’t Forget Shipping and Sales Tax</h3><p>Once you’ve found a great deal, nothing stifles a good mood quicker than seeing the grand total after the taxman comes calling and that dreaded “shipping and handling” charge has been applied. Many get around this by shopping e-tailers like Amazon.com, who doesn’t collect sales tax in most states (at least for now!) and offers free “Super Saver” shipping when buying $25 or more in qualifying merchandise. <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111213005454/en/Amazon-Extends-Free-Super-Saver-Shipping-Order" target="_blank">Amazon has even extended its free Super Saver shipping cutoffs for the Christmas season</a>, and Amazon Prime members get an even better deal: Free two-day shipping on almost everything for only $79 per year (plus thousands of free, streaming movies and TV shows as a bonus).</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/apple_shipping_deadlines_620px.png" alt="Apple holiday shipping chart" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Of course, Amazon doesn’t sell everything -- for rare or “gotta have it” kind of items, sometimes shipping fees are unavoidable. Thankfully, many retailers (including Apple.com) offer free shipping if you buy a certain amount of product ($50, in Apple’s case). However, this year Cupertino has dropped even that minimum requirement -- everything ships free through December 22, which certainly helps for buying the small gifts many of us count on for stocking stuffers. Apple is also removing any buyer’s remorse potential with free returns for products purchased between October 29 and December 25, as long as you initiate the return by the January 9, 2012 cutoff. Be sure to check the company’s <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/holiday/shipping" target="_blank">order cut-off chart</a> to make sure you’ll have it in time while you’re there, which promises two to three day shipping for most items.<br /><br />Also good news this year is that more than 2,000 merchants are participating in <a href="http://www.freeshippingday.com/" target="_blank">“Free Shipping Day,”</a> a promotion starting at 12am EST on Friday, December 16. Among the tech-related companies participating are HP, Griffin Technology, RadioShack, Best Buy, Dell, Microsoft, Overstock.com, Skullcandy and many others. If you’ve still got a lot of items that haven’t been crossed off your gift list, this Friday would be a great time to save a few bucks on shipping.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/monoprice_apple_section_620px.png" alt="Monoprice.com Apple accessories" width="620" height="300" /></p><h3>Off The Beaten Path</h3><p>The best deals can often be found in unlikely -- or rather, lesser-known -- places. If your gift-giving includes cables, adapters or cases for an Apple product, skip the often pricey stuff offered by Apple, Best Buy and others and go straight for <a href="http://www.monoprice.com/" target="_blank">Monoprice.com</a>. The company even offers <a href="http://www.monoprice.com/home/promo.asp?pn=apple-accessories" target="_blank">a dedicated section for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch</a>, chock full of all the stuff an iOS device owner could ever want at prices that will make even your wallet smile.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newegg.com/" target="_blank">NewEgg.com</a> is another outlet where deals can be had year-round for Mac and iOS device owners. Although many of their deepest bargains tend to lean toward Windows users, there are plenty of bargains just a few clicks away. The company also offers free apps for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad to make ordering mobile and more convenient.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/decide_website_620px.png" alt="Decide.com website" width="620" height="300" /></p><h3>Price Check on Aisle Two</h3><p>So you’ve found some stuff for your loved ones and it sounds like a good deal. But how do you know, really? Thankfully, the internet has created many opportunities for consumers clever enough to know where to look.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pricegrabber.com/" target="_blank">Pricegrabber.com</a> is a good place to start. Type in what you’re thinking of buying and within moments you’ll have a list of prices from around the web, all compared with each other, complete with shipping so you can find the “BottomLinePrice.” (Free iOS apps are also available.) Amazon’s free Price Check app lets you do the same, with the ability to scan retail UPC barcodes while in the store to see if it’s available cheaper on their website, then buy right on the spot while leaving the store empty-handed.<br /><br />Because consumer electronics prices are a fickle beast, <a href="http://www.decide.com/" target="_blank">the folks at Decide, Inc. created a website</a> that attempts to accurately predict the best time to buy that new Apple gadget, digital camera, HDTV or other item. <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=ApuPaiKIpxg&amp;offerid=146261&amp;type=3&amp;subid=0&amp;tmpid=1826&amp;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fdecide.com%252Fid477560672%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22%3EDecide.com" target="_blank">The company even has a free iOS app</a> for checking prices on the go by scanning UPC barcodes, then offering “Buy” or “Wait” advice based on how the price of an item has fluctuated in the past. The company claims customers are saving an average of $54 per product, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at in today’s economy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/delivery_status_touch_3-up_620px.png" alt="Delivery Status touch" width="620" height="300" /></p><h3>One Last Thing: Keeping Track</h3><p>Now that you’ve nabbed a few deals by shopping online and the packages are en route, how to keep track of them all and make sure they arrive safely? Our recommendation always goes to <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=ApuPaiKIpxg&amp;offerid=146261&amp;type=3&amp;subid=0&amp;tmpid=1826&amp;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fdelivery-status-touch-package%252Fid290986013%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22%3EDelivery%20Status%20touch,%20a%20package%20tracker" target="_blank">Delivery Status touch</a>, a $4.99 universal package tracking for iOS that makes it convenient and fun to know exactly when your purchases will arrive. Once you’ve received a shipping confirmation email, simply forward it to developer Junecloud and it will be added to to your account and synced across to both the iOS app and free Mac Dashboard widget. Now you’ll be able to see at a glance where everything is at -- and to customize your listings, simply edit the email Subject header to whatever you’d like.<br /><br />One of the new kids on the block is <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=ApuPaiKIpxg&amp;offerid=146261&amp;type=3&amp;subid=0&amp;tmpid=1826&amp;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fslice-track-organize-purchases%252Fid475854271%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22%3ESlice%20-%20Track,%20Organize%20Purchases" target="_blank">Slice</a>, a startup backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The free iOS app (web client also available) works with a Gmail or Yahoo email account, scanning your inbox for receipts and tracking numbers in an effort to keep tabs on the things you buy. This holiday season, <a href="http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Slice-Simplifies-Gift-Giving-With-New-Track-With-Friends-Feature-1597505.htm" target="_blank">Slice is also offering a new “Track with Friends” feature</a> that sends customized emails to anyone you’ve bought a gift for online, giving them a heads up that a package is on the way and even when it’s scheduled to arrive.<br /><br />Last but not least, be sure to tune in frequently to sites such as <a href="http://www.DealNews.com/" target="_blank">DealNews.com</a> (or better yet, join their Twitter feed), so you’ll get a heads up when products drop in price. The website also maintains <a href="http:www.dealmac.com/" target="_blank">DealMac.com</a>, a Mac-centric edition which posts frequent price drops for Apple computers, iOS devices, accessories and even apps.<br /><br />Happy holiday shopping and let’s be careful out there!<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a><br /><br />(Some images courtesy BoostLifestyle.com, KPLU.org, VanSunder.com)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/holiday_buying_guide_tips_saving_money_online#commentsNewsDealsfree shippingHoliday Buying GuideiTunesmoneyonline shoppingPrice ChecksavingsshoppingTue, 13 Dec 2011 20:07:58 +0000J.R. Bookwalter12929 at http://www.maclife.comTuesday Recap: Jobs Bio Tops Amazon, BBC iPlayer Incoming, Price Check Promohttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/tuesday_recap_jobs_bio_tops_amazon_bbc_iplayer_incoming_price_check_promo
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/amazon_price_check_promotion_200px.jpg" alt="Amazon Price Check promotion" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It seems like the lazy part of December is upon us: The frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is behind us and the last-minute mad rush for holiday gifts is still a week or two away. So what’s a MacLife.com reader to do? Why not take a bite out of some tasty tech news from around the internet while you wait -- here’s the latest and greatest for Tuesday, December 6, 2011.</p><h3>Steve Jobs Bio Tops Amazon’s 2011 Best Seller List</h3><p>Not much of a surprise, but Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/2011/books/" target="_blank">landed in the top spot on Amazon.com’s best seller list for 2011</a> after debuting at number 13. The official bio has only been available since late October, jumping into the number two position less than a month ago. Needless to say, the bio will soon take the leap to the big screen after the rights were acquired by Sony Pictures, with The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin “strongly considering” the role of screenwriter on what’s sure to be an epic feature film adaptation.</p><h3>BBC iPlayer App Arriving on iPhone This Week</h3><p>If you’re a fan of British television, you’ve no doubt been on pins and needles waiting for BBC Worldwide’s global iPlayer app to wash ashore here in the colonies. Just last week the app launched in Canada after a pilot launch in Australia and Scandinavia, and <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/12/06/the-bbcs-global-iplayer-expands-to-iphone-and-ipod-touch/" target="_blank">now The Next Web is reporting</a> the subscription-based app will be arriving in the U.S. this week: Thursday, December 8 to be exact, not to mention expanding into other countries like Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland as well. Oddly, BBC iPlayer will only initially be available for the iPhone and iPod touch -- there’s no word on when a super-sized version for the iPad will follow, but at this point we’ll take what we can get.</p><h3>EU Regulators Investigating E-Book Publishers</h3><p>In other global news, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-06/eu-said-to-start-antitrust-review-into-e-book-pricing-sales-restrictions.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg is reporting</a> that Apple and five e-book publishers are now under scrutiny in the European Union “over deals that may restrict sales across the region.” EU antitrust regulators are up in arms over Cupertino’s deals with Hatchette, Harper Collins, Simon &amp; Schuster, Penguin and Macmillan, and the scrutiny also extends to traditional brick and mortar retailers as well. The EU wants to fight “artificial restrictions imposed by some companies to cross-border trade,” and the probe announced today “will in particular investigate whether these publishing groups and Apple have engaged in illegal agreements or practices that would have the object or the effect of restricting competition.” The parties in question are cooperating with the investigation, so we’ll see where this one goes...</p><h3>How Does May Sound for New MacBook Air, Pro Models?</h3><p><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/06/ivy-bridge-mobile-cpus-for-next-macbook-air-and-pro-models-due-around-may/" target="_blank">MacRumors is reporting</a> that new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models look likely for May, 2012 thanks to a roadmap leaked from Intel outlining the company’s next-generation mobile processors, dubbed “Ivy Bridge.” According to VR-Zone, Ivy Bridge will allow Apple to introduce quad-core processors to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, while bringing “significantly faster graphics and new OpenCL capabilities to the MacBook Air.” Of course, as MacRumors notes, a lot of what Apple will do is dependent upon the direction the company decides to take its MacBook Pro line, which is rumored to get a complete revamp early next year. In any event, if you can survive with your current rig for a few more months, it might just be worth waiting until May to see what shakes out.</p><h3>PSA: Amazon Wants to Pay You for Using Price Check App</h3><p>Amazon is ready to open up an old-fashioned can of whoop-ass on brick and mortar retailers this holiday season -- at least for those of us using the company’s Price Check app on iOS or Android. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000749751&amp;tag=gmgamzn-20" target="_blank">This Saturday, December 10, Amazon is giving Price Check users a five percent discount</a> (up to $5 per item) on “select items in electronics, toys, sports, music and DVD just by checking a price.” Better yet, you can redeem the offer three times for a maximum savings of $15. The promotion kicks off at 9pm PST on Saturday and ends at 11:59pm PST on December 10. What’s the catch? There isn’t one, but Amazon is hoping you’ll share with them the in-store advertised price of a qualifying product, which in turns helps them maintain the lowest prices. The only real downside is that you’ll have to get off your couch and actually go into a retail store to get the savings, but we’re betting more than a few of you will be all too happy to take Amazon up on some free cash for the holidays.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/tuesday_recap_jobs_bio_tops_amazon_bbc_iplayer_incoming_price_check_promo#commentsNewsAmazonbbcdaily recapEuropean UnionInteliPlayerIvy BridgePrice Checksteve jobs biographyWalter IsaacsoniPhoneiPodMacTue, 06 Dec 2011 22:42:10 +0000J.R. Bookwalter12900 at http://www.maclife.comApp Store Adds Google Shopper to Its Carthttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/app_store_adds_google_shopper_its_cart
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/google_shopper_app_200px.jpg" alt="Google Shopper app" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Google’s iOS app invasion continues this week, this time with Google Shopper, which helps shoppers find information on products they’re interested in buying by cover art, barcode, voice or text search.<br /><br />Google has released the free <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-shopper/id416091721?mt=8" target="_blank">Google Shopper app</a> for the iPhone and iPod touch, which is now available in the App Store.The latest iOS app from Google aims to make your shopping experience more streamlined and best of all, potentially save you a bunch of money in the process.<br /><br />“Google Shopper helps you find information on millions of products,” the app description reads. “Google Shopper recognizes products by cover art, barcode, voice and text search. You can find local and online prices, reviews, specifications, videos, and more to help you make the best purchasing decision. With one click you can save items to your shopping list and share with your friends.”<br /><br />As you can see from the app’s main menu above, you have the option of searching for a potential product via text, image or voice search. Thanks to the same technology used in the company’s Google Goggles product, image search can include a snapshot of any book, CD, DVD or video game as well as a product’s UPC barcode.<br /><br />Once Shopper has identified your product (which requires an internet connection to zap the data back to Google HQ, naturally), you can sort the results by lowest price or other criteria and even see the best deals on any given product nearby.<br /><br />Judging from early reviews of Google Shopper on the App Store, it looks like Mountain View has another hit on their hands. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-shopper/id416091721?mt=8" target="_blank">Google Shopper</a> is a free 1.9MB download available now; the app is compatible with the iPhone or iPod touch and requires iOS 4.0 or later.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p><em><br /></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/app_store_adds_google_shopper_its_cart#commentsNewsApp StoreGooglegoogle appsiOSPrice CheckshoppingiPhoneiPodWed, 02 Feb 2011 13:44:02 +0000J.R. Bookwalter9785 at http://www.maclife.comAmazon Releases "Price Check" iPhone Apphttp://www.maclife.com/article/iphone/amazon_releases_price_check_iphone_app
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220907/amazon_logo_0.jpg" alt="amazon_logo_0" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />With Black Friday and Cyber Monday drawing nigh, it can never hurt to have another resource to help you score the best deals on the best gifts, right?&nbsp; Amazon released a new iPhone app today called Price Check, that gives you a new way to go about comparison shopping.<br /><br />The new app lets users scan the barcode of a product, take a picture of an item or even say the product's name to be able to access product listings on Amazon.com's marketplace.&nbsp; If a user happens to get a match on Amazon's site, they can then go ahead and purchase it with one click.&nbsp; But not only will a barcode scan give you pricing from Amazon.com, but other online retailers as well.<br /><br />Another feature is that you can use the app to take a picture of an item and match it up to books, DVDs, CDs and video games (Amazon's planning on adding even more categories soon).&nbsp; <br /><br />By default, the app will display prices sorted from low to high and will even give you a heads up if you can score free shipping.&nbsp; The company says that Price Check gives prices on "millions of products" and gives access to customer reviews; sharing via Twitter, Facebook, text message or e-mail link; and immediate purchasing through 1-Click ordering and Amazon Prime.<br /><br /><em>via <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/22/amazons-new-iphone-app-offers-in-store-price-comparisons-one-click-purchases/">TechCrunch</a></em><br /><em><br />Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mtilmann">Matthew Tilmann on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/iphone/amazon_releases_price_check_iphone_app#commentsNewsAmazonAppsPrice CheckscanningiPhoneTue, 23 Nov 2010 03:54:39 +0000Matthew Tilmann9025 at http://www.maclife.com